The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 3 April 2016

Nanaimo bird report, April 03, 2016

BIRD REPORT
“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.

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Sunday, April 03, 2016: 
The Sunday bird walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy and calm.  Pacific Wrens were singing all morning. A Red-breasted Sapsucker was feeding near the trail. Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warblers were feeding high up in the trees. We spotted a Townsend’s Warbler in a conifer tree playing hide and seek with us. American Robins were plentiful on the walk. We heard a Varied Thrush and had great views of a Hermit Thrush feeding near the trail.
Twenty-two birders saw and heard the following thirty-one species:
Mallard
Wood Duck
Glaucous-wing gull
Bald Eagle
  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Band-tail Pigeon
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Hermit Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee,
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow 



                                                                        Hermit Thrush:

Tuesday, March 29: 
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was partly cloudy with calm winds. We watched in fascination as a Hairy Woodpecker went into a hole in the tree near the trail and started excavating the hole for it’s nest.  Two Downy Woodpeckers were tapping trees nearby.  We had good looks at a Swainson's Hawk flying overhead---an unusual sighting for this area. For the first time this season, we heard and then saw several Orange-crowned Warblers feeding near the trail.  Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were along the trail for most of the morning.  A Band-tailed Pigeon was perched in a tree over the trail--another first of the season bird.

                                        Rufous Hummingbird: Len Bettam Photo. 

Twenty-one birders including a visiting birder from Edmonton saw and heard the following sixty species:
Canada Goose
Brant
American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
White-crowned Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Northern Shrike
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
American Coot
California Quail
Band-tailed Pigeon
Violet-green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Steller’s Jay
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow 


                                            Orange-crowned Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Wednesday, March 30:
A single Tundra Swan flew over a backyard near Planta Park in Nanaimo.

A Common Yellowthroat was seen at Buttertubs Marsh west in Nanaimo.

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TOFINO SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL

April 29 - May 1, 2016

tofinoshorebirdfestival.com 

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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and Tuesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville Beach Community Park at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and around the Oceanside area. *******************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on April 05, 2016 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the Lions Club Kids Playground parking area at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on April 10, 2016 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road (on the ocean side of highway 19a)in Parksville at about 9:30 a.m.
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Good birding
Neil Robins 

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co

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